Central Banks
Zimbabwe central bank aims to regain LORL and rate-setting powers
The Reserve Bank of Zimbabwe set to offer overnight lending to banks at a rate based on government debt yields from the end of March; will also begin issuing government treasuries
ECB releases AQR framework
Danièle Nouy and Vítor Constâncio outline the ‘building blocks’ of the asset quality review; say recruitment for the SSM is progressing ‘at full steam’
Unco-ordinated macro-prudential policies could result in ‘capital war’, says BoJ paper
Johns Hopkins professor argues that, absent any co-operation, countries across the globe will implement macro-prudential policies in a manner ‘reminiscent of an inefficient arms race’
Liberian credit grew 42.5% in 2013, says central bank annual report
Total bank assets rose by 23.7%, while deposits grew 26.1%; internal activities centred mainly on strengthening the capacity of staff to meet skill requirements, according to the bank
Ingves calls for consistency in risk weights for credible capital ratios
BCBS chair says underlying differences in risk drive lion's share of risk-weight variations, but some arise from supervisory and practice-based idiosyncrasies
Eurozone crisis countries had to grasp the nettle of reform, says Cœuré
Delaying reforms until countries had emerged from the crisis would have been counterproductive, ECB board member says; effect of zero lower bound has been overstated, too
Central banks must lean against boom and bust to retain credibility, says Borio
A more symmetrical response to booms and busts is required to leave policy-makers with the ammunition and credibility to tackle them, says top BIS economist
EBA announces key ratios for European bank stress tests
European Banking Authority wants to see CET1 ratios of 8%, with 5.5% the threshold for an ‘adverse scenario'; stress tests to begin in the spring with results due out in October
Bernanke passes torch to Yellen as poll shows US torn on his legacy
Janet Yellen to be sworn in as Federal Reserve chair on Monday, but de facto takes over when Bernanke bids farewell today
Sint Maarten and Curaçao monetary union needs 'less political wisdom', more co-ordinated action
Emsley Tromp, president of the countries' shared central bank says monetary policy is helping to shrink persistent current account deficits but argues more co-ordinated action 'imperative'
Unanimous Fed decision to taper 'sets precedent'
FOMC scales back monthly purchases by another $10 billion, makes no mention of EM turmoil; unanimous decision seen as making dissent less likely in coming meetings
Kazakhstan experiences 10-year inflation low
Quarterly inflation falls to 0.6% in latest figures; National Bank of Kazakhstan predicts it will increase in the coming quarter but remain in check throughout 2014
RBNZ signals impending rate rise
Reserve Bank of New Zealand says it expects to increase the OCR ‘soon’ as inflationary pressures look set to increase over the next two years; today’s rate hold surprises markets
People: Israel appoints new currency head; ESRB re-elects Ingves
ESRB also reappoints Marek Belka, president of the National Bank of Poland, to steering committee and appoints Richard Portes, founder of CEPR, to Advisory Scientific Committee
Russia 'welcomes' weaker currency as central bank sticks to float plan
Russian rouble is latest currency to be hit in emerging markets turmoil, but analysts believe the central bank will stick to its stated policy - or loosen their grip on the exchange rate
Sovereign wealth fund could help fiscal discipline in Algeria, says IMF
Fund suggests setting up a SWF and implementing a ‘full-fledged' fiscal rule to help manage volatile hydrocarbon revenues and curb inflationary pressures
Pakistan governor resigns for ‘personal reasons’
Yaseen Anwar steps down from the State Bank of Pakistan top job after a family member suffers a serious injury; new deputy governor appointed to help grow the Islamic banking sector
Riksbank worries over fallout from ‘sharp corrections' in house prices
Swedish households' interest-rate expectations guided by current levels rather than projections, recently published document finds; Lars Svensson calls findings potentially ‘biased and misleading'
RBI’s Joshi calls for ‘revamped’ bank structures
Deepali Pant Joshi tells Indian banks to enhance their financial inclusion efforts by hiring a ‘separate cadre of staff’ to provide banking services to far-flung rural areas
Barnier publishes bank split proposals
Europe’s 30 largest banks would be banned from engaging in proprietary trading and forced to separate other risk activities from their retail business under proposed reforms
Carney lectures Scots on dangers of monetary union without fiscal union
Bank of England governor tells Edinburgh audience that successful currency union would need banking union, and would risk moral hazard without fiscal union
Turkey and South Africa shock markets with interest rate hikes
South Africa and Turkey join India in raising rates in the face of persistent inflationary pressures and sharp currency devaluations, ahead of the FOMC decision later today